The Decision Education Foundation

05/13/2026

🌸 Last month, DEF joined more than 700 student leaders and advisors at the
Oregon Association of Student Councils’ spring conference, Leaders in Full Bloom, in Seaside, Oregon! OASC (Oregon Association of Student Councils)

DEF’s Decision Education Coordinator, Liz Thompson, led sessions for both student leaders and advisors focused on one essential leadership skill that often gets overlooked: decision-making.

🧠 Advisors explored why strong decision-making is critical for effective leadership and previewed DEF’s new 10-lesson curriculum designed specifically for student leadership groups and classes.

🤝 Students worked through real leadership challenges using the Decision Chain — generating creative alternatives, discussing tradeoffs, and identifying shared values before making decisions together.

We loved connecting with so many passionate student leaders and advisors and are excited to continue bringing Decision Education into leadership programs across schools!

03/31/2026

This past weekend at SDP’s Boston Conference, Chris Spetzler and Andy Dey (former Superintendent of the 4J School District) shared how Decision Quality has been implemented across an entire K–12 system.

From administrative leadership to educators and students, the 4J case shows how better decision-making can be embedded throughout a district—not just taught, but practiced every day.

We loved connecting with educators and leaders who are thinking about how to bring similar approaches into their own schools and communities.

02/11/2026

Most people play Wordle by instinct.
Decision analysts play it with strategy.

Join Tom Keelin and Society of Decision Professionals Events for a fun and practical session showing how Decision Quality (DQ) thinking can help you make smarter guesses, identify optimal moves, and consistently outperform the Wordle Bot.

You’ll see how calculating expected information gain, choosing stronger opening strategies, and applying better end-game decision logic lead to measurably better outcomes — and why the same approach improves decisions far beyond the game.

🗓 February 18 | 8:00 AM PT
🔗 Register : https://conta.cc/3MoxitZ

10/28/2025

Join us on November 8th 2-3:30 PM Pacific Time to hear from DEF partners and staff to learn about recent advances, applications, accomplishments, and future opportunities!

📚 Decision Science Class at The Socratic Experience Online School helps students plan for life after high school

👣 Positive Pathways Program for Non-Academic Settings like juvenile diversion, plus Counseling and Decision Coaching stories

🚀 Applications of AI and the Decision Quality Center at Illinois Tech University creating internal capability development and curriculum integration

🏫 Dual-Credit Class at South Tahoe High School for Health & College/Career Readiness including contemporary teenage decision scenarios

💪 Decision Fitness in Sports, Student Leadership in summer camp, and Cross-Cultural Experiences in Colombia

🤝 Ways you can engage with Decision Ed!

Register on Zoom (link also in bio):
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/F9mjB0U2TpGdoMEHFa3YQQ

08/11/2025

This summer, DEF was honored to bring Decision Education to students in the University of Oregon’s Young Scholars Bridge Program—a powerful initiative supporting students of color, first-generation college students, and youth from limited-income households.

Led by DEF educator Liz Thompson, students learned how to strengthen their thinking using tools like the Decision Chain, explored common Decision Traps, and engaged in activities and games designed to reflect real-life decisions that students may face.

A huge thank you to the Oregon Young Scholars Program for recognizing the value of decision-making skills and making them part of the path to college success.

💬 “It’s nice to learn steps on how to go through with something.” – Sammi Momeni, Tigard High School

08/08/2025

DEF was honored to be part of this year’s Innovative Schools Summit in Las Vegas, where thousands of educators gathered to share practical tools for student success.

Our program leaders Liz Thompson and Stefanie McLaney hosted a dynamic session titled From Risk to Resilience: Tools for Better Youth Decision Making, giving educators hands-on experience with DEF’s Decision Workspace and strategies for avoiding common Decision Traps.

We loved connecting with so many engaged attendees—and look forward to partnering with schools ready to bring Decision Education to their students this fall!

05/16/2025

🌲 We loved being part of the Oregon Small Schools Association Conference hosted by at Salishan last month! With over 60% of Oregon’s schools serving 1,600 students or fewer, small schools are leading the way with creative, student-centered solutions.

DEF is here to support small schools and provide them with resources that fit with their students' needs. Grateful for the chance to connect with so many passionate educators and leaders—more to come! 💬📚✨ 

04/24/2025

We had an inspiring time at the Society of Decision Professionals 2025 Conference in Vancouver! 🇨🇦✨

DEF was proud to present a poster showcasing how Decision Professionals can make real impact by collaborating with DEF to deliver Decision Skills in classrooms, corporate programs, and community settings. From scouts to Stanford Pre-Collegiate students, and high schools to high-tech firms like Intel—DEF partnerships are proving that better decisions truly lead to better lives.

A special shoutout to our Executive Director, Chris Spetzler, who delivered a powerful presentation titled “Meeting Ron Howard’s Challenge in Delivering Decision Skills.” Chris shared how DEF is honoring Ron Howard’s legacy and pushing past “DQ light” to help students deeply understand concepts like conditional probability—bringing ethical, high-impact decision education to life.

Thank you to SDP for the opportunity to connect, collaborate, and reimagine what’s possible in the field of Decision Quality!


04/17/2025

Three days of better decisions started and ended with commitment to action — the decision tree in VillaGomez, Colombia bore the fruit of the students’ learning after each session. 🌳✨

Huge thanks to Carol Moreno, her sister Joanna, and David Purkey for bringing this incredible learning experience to life, and to Casa Cultural El Carajo for demonstrating how the magic of making better decisions comes alive in a very different cultural context.

We’re honored to learn and grow together in the Colombian Andes!

04/17/2025

Give your students an advantage in decision-making and check out Decision Academy!

Be more effective in getting to college by learning HOW to make better decisions based on Decision Science, while improving key decisions around college choice.